In the weeks ahead, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) will continue to keep a close eye on the negotiations, and we will advocate for legislation that would protect and defend the earned benefits of older Americans. For progress updates, visit the Legislative News section of our website, or follow TSCL on Facebook and Twitter. .Medicare Therapy Caps: A Long Battle for Patient Access .Low-income beneficiaries who receive Medicaid in addition to Medicare. State Medicaid programs pay the Part B premiums for people who qualify due to low income and resources. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are approximately 10 million dually - eligible beneficiaries representing about two-thirds of those who are not protected by hold harmless. .While the provision is valuable protection, it doesn't apply to all Medicare Part B enrollees. Roughly 30% of all Part B beneficiaries will not be protected in 201Those people are facing a Part B premium increase of about 22.3%, from 1.80 per month to 9.00, the highest increase in 27 years. People who are not protected by the hold harmless provision include: .But changes to illegal immigration enforcement can have long-term financial implications for federal benefit programs, including Social Security and Medicare. With work-authorization and valid Social Security numbers, even noncitizens can potentially become entitled to Social Security benefits with enough years of earnings or a change of legal status. At issue is whether work prior to obtaining legal status and valid Social Security numbers would count toward entitlement to Social Security and Medicare benefits — under current law it does. .The President Introduces his Plan to Lower Drug Prices .If you have not filed a return for 2020, the IRS urges people with children to file one as soon as possible. Even if your grandson was not with you in 2020, eligible taxpayers have the opportunity to update information about changes in income, filing status or the number of qualifying children. The IRS is continuing to update information about this credit which can be found at: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021. .This week, The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for three important bills that would strengthen the Social Security program and reduce prescription drug prices for Medicare Part D beneficiaries if signed into law. .TSCL strongly supports adequate administrative budgets for SSA, and we hope that Congress will act with the best interest of seniors in mind when making funding decisions in the weeks ahead. We will follow the appropriations process closely in the coming weeks, and we will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website.